Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-04-16
DAILY HERALD.
THE EAGLE CORPS.
ceurt martial Report ON M"Jo-
Qussell,s Accounts.

For sosne time past there nave psen
poIv rumors concerning the manner In
-,h;ch the financial affairs of the Eagle
Corus or Seventh Infantry Battalion
ware conducted and charges were made
against the Major, w. H. H. Russell.
A. thsse charges were made by Lieu
tenant-McNamara-they could not oe
considered. Msjor Russell. however,
c.me in and demanded ON Investigation
of the charges and Brigadier.Ge General
Mathews appointed Majors Stern' Bone
brake and Stephenson as Court OF In
uuiry. This court has been in session
for some days and examined many wit
nesses and yeste rday presented the tol'
lowing report to General Mathews;
REPORT OF THE COURT.
To GENERAL J. r. MATHEWS:
The Court of Inquiry appointed by You to
s,a,,i,e into the financial condition of Cos
e AZ and &c" (Eagle Corps) OF Seyenth IN
fantrv Battalion, their property accounts
hstween them and the battalion comman-
der. and such other ms.ieas .pe Peisais eSsrvice
EhAr4t0 6O~~
Serewith present their report of their de-
nIS ~ srestest difficulty which is presented
10 this court Is their inability to report
result of their INQUIRY when can o. Ue to apv
In the first place, no one appeared to tes-
tify before this court that Major W. II: n.
Russell had been guilty OF m'sspProprlatinst
funds belonging to the Eagle Corps; at least
two witnesses appeared before the court
md testified that Major Russell had been
careless and negligent In g handipg OF
company and battalion funds ana In iaiIing
to keep proper books OF accounss; put those
same witnesses further testified that they
had no word to say against Major Russelis
honesty and integrity. ..
There was one fact which was proven TO
our satisfaction, viz: thet the sum oi enesed spd
50 100 (Sl1, ,2l3 3c-100) dollars had been re
ceived and handled by Major W. ID. d.
Russell, belonging to the Eagle Corps com
pany and battalion between november TO-
Major Ru, sell presented an account to the
court showing that the sum of eleven thou,
saud two hundred and thirteen ana So,ioo
(Sll, ,2I3 3C.l00) dollars had beensreceived oy
him as above stated, and the sum OF four
teen thousand one hundred and eighty-nve
and ls-1OO (sl4, 1856 49, dollars had been ex-
pended py him or by persons uncer MS I'll
rection aud authority. OF the total sum ex
D00Q0Q Oy Olu1 ut PIOtChtOA w sh~ OOeAs
r0uchers to the amount of six thousand
four hundred and sixty-fye apd to-lVo
fS6465 6S) dollars, leaving an amount0f seven
Thousand seven hundred and nineteen ana
75-1OU (t77l9.75) dollars for which he has no
vouchers.
According to the accounts before the
Court, Major w. H. II. Russell has paid out
two thousand nine hundred and seventy.
two and 1900 ls2s72 1S) dollars more than
The Court was informed by competent
Testimony that no books OF accounts belong
ing to the Eagle Corps had been kept by
Major Russell, or by any other person.
Major Russell testified that he had private
memorandum books in which he
kept at least. partial memoranda
disbursed by him belonging to the Eagle
Corps. Msj. Russell offered 70 show TO the
court these private memorandum books;
offered to allow the court in his presence to
examine the same as long and as intently
as they wished, but would not allow those
books to be taKen away or retained by the
A minority of the court believed and ex-
pressed then and there the belief and op1n-
Ion that the court should examine all books
which Maj Russell offered to produce,
whether the same were private or public
books, but the majority of the court be-
ieved, and the court therefore rule ID that
the books referred to by Msj. Russell, not
Eagle Corps, should not be examined oI
considered by the court.
The fact was admitted that there were nc
books of accounts kept for the benefit or in
spectiOn of the Eagle Corps.
That was serious error.
The reason or excuse of Mai. Russell fOI
failing to keep these books and for failin 6
to present to the Eagle Corps from time
to time, sia ements of their accounts
va. that since the Eagle Corps was SO
deeply in debt that it would have discour-
aged the men to know the true state OF at
fairs and would have prevented them from
attending drills. etc and would finally have
broken up the Eagle Corps.
Whatever reaso Major Russell had or Of
5ered to the Court for the course followed
by him is. in the opinion of the Court, un-
satisfactory and insufficient. II Major Rus
sci believed that the Eagle Corps was not
in condition to face the facts, and he was
therefore, unwilling to present TO them
their own accounts, he should at least have
kept books. and have been prepared to
exhibit said books whenever eith-r his
command or finances were such as to justify
him In presenting all the accounts Tor in
specuon.
In the opinion of the Court, Major Rus.
sells reason for failing to present state
ment Of accounts to the Eagle Corps il
insufficient, but as a reason Tor falling even
to keep books OF accounts of the finances of
the Eagle Corps, it is virtually no reason al
all and Is lnexcusable.
The moneys received by Major Russell
were trust moneys and should have been
treated as such. The rights OF the Eagle
Corps. and OF every man great and small
in the Eagle Corps. of the creditors of the
Eagle Corps and of the State at large were
to the consulted and cared for.
We see no evidence of dishonesty on the
part of Major Russell at any time since he
took command of the Eagle Corps, but
simply careless. loose and unbnsiDess-
like manner OF keeping the accounts and
moneys of his command.
The last hearing Of the matters before the
court showed that a different method had
been adopted by the Eagle Corps in refer
ence TO money matters.
regular system of books is to be kept
and . committee of three is to disburse and
order the disbursement of all moneys be-
longing to the battalion.
lnasmuch as a new system has been in
augurated for keeping all books and &C.
counts and Of disbursing the moneys Of the
battalion. we do not feel justified in recon-
mending any further action In these mat.
ters. hut we do recommend that the com.
manding officer of the Eagle Corps be here.
after required to keep CT have kept regu.
lar set or books regarding all the finances
E. /. STERN.
,, Msjer Ordnance Officer.
WALTER D. sTEPHEiNsoN.
Major Judge Advocate.
The General thinks the state of
things so unsatisfactory and the report
10 vague that while he will approve the
findings of the court he will not allow
tee ma ter to rest. He yester.
day addressed a letter to Major
Russell, whom it appears is the
treasurer as well as the Major of the
Battalion, calling upon him for full
accounting of all the moneys which have
come into his hands since 1881. There
should be full understanding and set.
Element of the Eagle Corps business or
the public will speedily lose confidence
in the gallant citizen soldiery and with
draw Its support. The report of the
Court of Inquiry, leaves Major Russell
in no enviab!e light and he owes it to
himself to force fuller investigation.
General Mathews is doing right in in
sisting upon full report from Major